03. Year A - Third Sunday in Advent

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VERSION: 9 April 2002

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

In 2001: 16 Dec

In 2004: 12 Dec

In 2007: 16 Dec

In 2010: 12 Dec

In 2013: 15 Dec

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Advent season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

'Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.' (Isa 35:3,4a NRSV)

OR

Be patient. Strengthen your hearts,

for the coming of the Lord is near. (Jas 5:8 NRSV)

OR, use the standard Advent Sentence in the document 'Advent season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Lord, hear our prayers,

and graciously come into our hearts

to lighten our darkness;

for you live and reign

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Lord, listen to our prayers.

Come to us in your kindness,

and lighten the darkness of our hearts.

For you live and reign

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray that we may receive Christ with joy. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

each year you make us glad

as we look forward to the birthday of your Son.

May we who joyfully receive him

as our redeemer

confidently face him

when he comes to be our judge.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray that we receive Christ with joy. [silence])

Jesus, our promised Messiah,

John the Baptist went ahead of you

and proclaimed the good news

of your coming.

Encourage us to receive you with joy

as our redeemer,

and faithfully follow you.

For you live and reign

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 35:1-10 God himself will come to save us

PSALM

Psalm 146:5-10

Antiphon:

Praise the Lord, O my soul! (Ps 146:1b NRSV)

OR

Antiphon:

Lord, come and save us.

OR

Luke 1:[46b]47-55

(Note that used as a 'psalm' this canticle is intended to begin: 'My soul . . . ' (or 'My heart . . . ' in TEV); the different translations vary slightly in the verse numbering.)

Antiphon:

Jesus Christ our Saviour, eternal God, and Mary's son,

we adore you. (from Vespers)

SECOND READING

James 5:7-10 Do not lose heart

ALLELUIA VERSE (Luke 4:18)

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the poor.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Matthew 11:2-11 Jesus and John the Baptist

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for coming as the promised Messiah.

Help us to receive you in joyful faith.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Our loving heavenly Father,

we thank you for all the good things you have given us.

Teach us to serve you with patience

and with compassion to one another and all people.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Jesus told his disciples: 'Go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised.' Let us pray to our loving heavenly Father.

The regular response, OR:

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, may your kingdom come.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Into your hands, Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your  Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You fulfilled your promise to comfort your people

by sending Jesus the Redeemer,

and to make all things new through him

when he comes to judge the world

and set it right.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

Blessed are those who have been invited

to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

For an Advent post-communion prayer, see the document 'Advent season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Almighty and merciful God,

each year you make us glad

as we look forward to the birthday of your Son.

May we who have joyfully received him

as our redeemer in this sacrament

confidently face him

when he comes to be our judge.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING

This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, shine on you and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory . . .

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Wait for the Lord with patience, and stand firm.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Isaiah 35:1-10

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: James 5:7-10

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 146:5-10

For musical settings of Psalm 146:5-10, see Music Package 1. See also TIS 90 I'll praise my maker while I've breath. Note also that the hymn 'Praise the Almighty, my soul' (LH 450) is based on Psalm 146.

Below are two metrical paraphrases of this psalm by David Sch¸tz. If reproducing either of these versions, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm. The first may be sung to either the tune Adelaide (LH 461) or the tune Laudes Domini (TIS 227).

When mortal breath is gone,

and strength returns to dust,

all human plans will end;

but Jacob's God keeps faith -

he made the earth and sky

and all that they contain!

He gives the hungry food,

and justice to the poor,

and sets the prisoners free.

The righteous know his love.

He lifts up those weighed down,

and makes the blind to see.

He cares for refugees,

for widows, orphans too,

but all who hate him fall!

Forever Zion's God

is king of all the earth.

O praise the Lord, my soul!

The second version may be sung to the tune of 'Now the green blade rises' (LHS 764, ATN 15, TIS 382)

Blest are those who find their help in Jacob's God.

Blest are those whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He made the sky, the sea, and all the earth.

He is always faithful, always keeps his word.

The Lord feeds the hungry, sets the prisoner free,

by his healing power the blind are made to see.

He gives his justice to all those oppressed,

lifts up those bowed down, and loves all righteousness.

Strangers, widows, orphans, know his loving grace.

But he brings to ruin every wicked way.

The Lord will reign forever, Zion's God.

Through all generations, praise the Lord our God!

SONG OF MARY

For various versions of the Song of Mary (Magnificat), the alternative 'psalm' for today, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Canticles', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Musical settings are in the Music Packages 2, 4, and 7.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ISAIAH 35:1-10: After describing in the previous chapter devastations and punishments inflicted by the Lord God, Isaiah in this prophecy now outlines a glorious and joyous return of God' s people to Jerusalem. In a poetic way he contrasts the journey through the desert to the privations of the first Exodus. The desert will bloom with verdant flowers and trees, people will be physically healed, and the dangers of wild animals will be absent. The Lord will bring his cleansed and redeemed people over a highway in holiness, eagerly approaching his temple with singing. Christ's miraculous final coming will further complete the perfect joy and peaceful prosperity of God's people in the Father's house forever.

JAMES 5:7-10: Just as the farmer cannot hasten the germination, growth, ripening and harvesting of his seed, nor control the timing of the rains, so with the final harvest of God's people. Patient waiting for the coming of the Lord always means painstaking patience and undeviating constancy in applying the principles of love to one another.

MATTHEW 11:2-11: Whatever John' s motives in sending his disciples to Jesus to ask whether or not he was the Messiah, Jesus' answer was both definite and illuminating. Jesus pointed the Baptist to the signs of messiahship. The miracles mentioned in his answer parallel the list which Isaiah connected with the return of God's people from sin and separation to the everlasting joy of God's presence. Herein the Baptist and his disciples would be able to find the answer to their question. Jesus further goes on to affirm John's stalwart and brave greatness in the Kingdom by citing Isaiah's prophecy concerning John's preparation for the coming work of the Messiah.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be illustrated by a picture of an oasis in a desert, and the gospel by stylised figures (eg stick figures) of people leaping about for joy, arms raised.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading could be read by two or more readers, reading alternate paragraphs; and the gospel by three readers: narrator (pastor), John the Baptist, Jesus.

CHILDREN

CHILDREN AND THE READINGS

The children could make/display pictures - see above under 'Visuals for the readings' re illustrations of the first reading and the gospel.

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Talk about John the Baptist (if it wasn't done last week).

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is 'John the Baptist asks about Jesus (Matt 11:2-11)'. Material for this story may be found in

Original Edition, 3 Advent, year A (in 3rd Series C book)

OR

Revised RCL Edition, same